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The BMW Group and Local Motors announce the winners of the second phase (phase one winners) of the Urban Driving Experience Challenge. This challenge asked the Local Motors community of more than 30,000 designers, engineers, fabricators and enthusiasts to delve into the development of premium vehicle features and functions focused on ‘Doing Good’ in the world around us. The three-week competition of the second phase began on November 15 and ended on December 6.

The objective of this challenge was to transform the car into a value-adding, socially responsible machine that contributes to our global well-being. It focused on taking BMW and MINI automobiles beyond the driver experience, evolving them to benefit an area, a community, a city and the world at-large.

“With the creative process of the BMW Urban Driving Experience Challenge, we entered new territory in the way we think and create innovations,” says Dr. Christoph Grote, Managing Director of BMW Group Research and Technology. “The exciting proposals submitted by the participants will certainly stimulate our predevelopment work for future sustainable mobility solutions in an urban environment.”

For the BMW Group, sustainability is an integral part of corporate strategy. Together with the Local Motors team, the BMW Group is pushing beyond the traditional concepts of sustainability and green thinking to define the next generation of premium automobile features and functions that connect the driver and the vehicle to the community at large.

At the conclusion of the challenge, a team of BMW executives reviewed the entries, and BMW Management selected the top ten concepts from all entries submitted. Next, the Local Motors community voted on these ten entries based on how well they met the criteria identified in the Design Brief to determine the final ranking.

“I am so proud, and excited by the concepts submitted by the Local Motors community during this BMW Urban Driving Experience Challenge,” said Jay Rogers, co-founder and CEO of Local Motors. “Ideas for this challenge came from every corner of the globe; from designers, engineers and automotive enthusiasts representing more than 30 countries across 5 continents. Congratulations, and thank you to everyone who participated.”

First place was awarded to Cosmin Mandita (aka mandita) from Romania for his winning concept, the BMW Light My Way. Cosmin Mandita will receive a $7,500 cash prize and a trip to Munich, Germany to meet with the Managing Director of BMW Group Research and Technology, Dr. Christoph Grote. Second and third place prizes of $2,500 and $1,500, respectively, were awarded to Xavier Gordillo (aka chavito) from Spain for his concept BMW Connected Park and to James Lin (aka jamesl), from New York, USA, for his concept The Lifeboat.

“This was not an easy challenge,” Rogers concludes. “The Local Motors community and the BMW team took the process of automotive discovery and next-generation features development to a whole new level. Working hand-in-hand, truly inspired concepts that I am confident will redefine the future of class-leading functions for premium vehicles in an urban environment were revealed. I look forward to what we can do next“.